Knight of the Eight and One
by Star Shatterer
Summary: A strange 'pull' guides Naruto away from the village durring Mizuki's plot to steal the Forbidden Scroll, and towards the Priory of the Nine and a new future as the inheritor of the name "Pelinal Whitestrake".
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I, Star Shatterer, own nothing of the "Naruto" or "Elder Scrolls" universes as they belong to Kishimoto and Bethesda respectively.

I have always found myself disappointed by the lack of Naruto/Oblivion fanfiction. What little there is, is incomplete, or Naruto fielding as an agent of the Dark Brotherhood. While in keeping with how ninjas are assassins in most views, I cannot see Naruto as one. He fits with the more "I fight for all that is good and pure" spectrum on any conflict, and thus this story was born.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I humbly present to you "Knight of the Eight and One".

– Outside the Academy, Konohagakure no Sato -

Alone. This is the word he could say described his feelings at the moment. Seeing all of the children being congratulated by their parents and peers for finishing their time at the academy, while he sat alone. No one would come and see him, at best he had the Ichiraku's, but they didn't have time away from the shop to even think of seeing him.

"_Why would they come see me anyway? It's not like I passed, three times a failure, that's all I am.", _thought the boy. "_Why am I even here? Do I really even want to be a ninja? I thought so, but somehow it just seems so… wrong. Living a life of lies, deceit, and death all in the name of a village that doesn't even care about me?"_

And so there he sat, alone, thinking on his choices for the future. So drawn into his thoughts he didn't notice the Chunin Instructor Mizuki approach him. He did, however, notice when Mizuki decided to shout to get his attention.

"NARUTO!"

Startled out of his musings, Naruto looked towards the silver haired man with a loud yelp as he fell unceremoniously on the ground.

"Hehe, what's up Mizuki-Sensei?"

The teacher just shook his head as he helped the blond haired boy up, "Naruto, I'm sorry we couldn't pass you, but you know Iruka was just doing his job. We cannot pass you unless you are able to pass all three of the basic courses, but there's always next time right?"

Naruto responded after a pause, "Yeah, but there might not be a next time, if I can't even make a stupid Bunshin then I don't think that being a ninja is going to work out for me. I've been putting some thought into this recently, but this doesn't seem like the right path for me."

Mizuki blinked at the child in front of him, "But what about your dream of becoming the Hokage? You're really going to go against all that you've said because you didn't pass the test? Well that just won't do, tell ya what, kid. I'm not really supposed to assign this to just anyone, but we can make an exception for you. There is a test we can assign to someone who shows promise, but didn't pass the test. If you succeed in this, we can allow you to become a Genin." He said with a smile, "So do you accept?"

"Hehe, I can't believe the old man actually fell for that!"

Against all odds, Naruto managed to break into the Hokage's Tower, "defeat" the Hokage, and steal the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. Heading towards the meeting point Mizuki-Sensei told him to go to when he had retrieved the scroll, Naruto stopped. He couldn't explain it, but he had been getting this feeling for a while. It wasn't a warning of danger for something incredibly stupid he was about to unknowingly do, but more of a tug, almost like something in the forest was calling to him. He had heard stories of ghosts living in forests, haunting and killing travelers for reasons unknown.

"Heh that's crazy, there's no such thing as ghosts. I mean really, who would believe something so childish?" But the feeling was still there, and eventually curiosity won over logic and he let himself wander to what he felt was the source.

He didn't know how long he had been walking for, but his feet hurt after so much travel. After what seemed like it could have been hours he stopped at an old building, covered by the plant life that surrounded it. As he crept along the path towards the entrance he noticed a small stone wall that had crumbled with time, barricading what could have been a small garden at one point in time. To the right was another building, tall and regal. The door, or what was left of it, tossed to the side and left to rot. A quick look inside the building showed what could have been seats, facing a small stone basin that looked seemingly untouched by time. As he looked out towards the main building, a strong sense of calm overtook him. It was old, and built so unlike anything he had ever seen in his life. Windows scattered across the front, some shattered, though most intact. It had a look of elegance, but at the same time one of durability, as if even the passage of time could do it no fault. As he opened the still sturdy doors he found himself forgetting all about the scroll, Mizuki, even the village. A staircase was the first thing he was greeted by upon stepping inside, heading back to the wall then branching off left and right. To his left was a fireplace and some old tapestries, the ground littered with random objects. The upstairs was just as scarcely decorated as down below. Aside from the few overturned bookshelves and a bed frame, the place was cleared out.

"This is getting kinda creepy, there are cobwebs everywhere and it swear I saw some bloodstains upstairs. But this feeling just won't go away, it's driving me crazy!" as he tossed the scroll to the ground he heard a hollow thumping sound that seemed so out of place in what should have been a very solidly built floor, even despite the age of the building. Moving aside the carpet he found a wooden door, no more than a foot tall and wide and being the impulsive kid he is, opened it.  
>"Huh, a book? Bah, it would be a book wouldn't it?" As Naruto lifted the book out of the floor, he noticed a small shiny object fall from it. Placing it aside, he decided to read the book, looking for information on this strange place.<p>

"**The Song of Pelinal Volume 7**? Is this some kinda play? _And so____after many battles with Umaril's allies, where dead Aurorans lay like candlelight around the throne, the Pelinal became…_"  
>-- -/- -/- -/- -/- -/- -/- -/-

"… So this Pelinal guy seems like he was some kind of hero then, but to be betrayed to his enemies by the ones he thought his friends? That's gotta suck. Good story though, wish I had the other books, but it seems like I'm forgetting something big though. Like really big." It was at this time Naruto noticed the Forbidden Scroll, sitting as it landed on an ornate design in the floor.

"… I'm so screwed, I totally failed the test now. I don't even know how long I was walking for, or how long I sat reading! How long did I even have to finish that stupid test? Ugh Mizuki-Sensei is gona be so pissed." Yet for all the trouble he knew he was going to be in, he felt at peace with himself, so as he began to walk towards the scroll he noticed the object he placed to the side earlier. It was a brass ring with a similar image on the face of it as the floor he was standing on. Picking it up, a shock ran through his body, images of people rallying under the symbol of a red diamond, golden beasts leaving trails of death and destruction. One image stood out the most among the others, a man in armor of the purest white, wielding a sword set aflame slicing into a great beast, nearly twice as big as he was.  
>So shocked by what he saw he didn't notice that the floor below him was giving way into a set of stairs until it dropped out from under him.<p>

As he came out of his stupor he noticed that the stairs led to a corridor lined with ornate stone coffins. Walking up to one he read the inscription, "_Here lies Sir Zachary Moss, the Divine Crusader and guardian of the Relics of the Eight and One, slayer of Umaril the Unfeathered. Died in the Third Era 476. A hero to humanity, we send his soul to Nine as his Relics lay scattered across the realm." _

It was then that Naruto noticed a blade that sat upon a stand just to the right of the coffin, pulsing with a power that called to him. Realizing this as the source of the pull he had been feeling that started this entire little adventure, he calmly walked up to it. Placing his hand across the diamond shaped pommel he stared at the blade, thin yet unbending, roughly four feet in length, it called to him to grasp it, claim it as his own.

And so he did.

And this is the end of the first chapter here. I am going to say now that depending on the traffic this story may or may not get, the updates will be very inconsistent. This is just something I felt the want to try and if I get enough of a response I will continue. Naruto as the new Divine Crusader would be an interesting idea wouldn't it? Review how you will, but I really do want feedback from this, so please give me your opinions. Love it? Hate it? Then just tell me!

Star Shatterer signing out.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I, Star Shatterer, own nothing of the "Naruto" or "Elder Scrolls" universes as they belong to Kishimoto and Bethesda respectively.

-Priory of the Nine-

Thinking back, if Naruto had to say there was any way to describe an out of body experience, he would say there was none better an example than what had happened when he met the single most influential being in his life. Standing an untold amount of distance above the very building he just entered, seeing the forest spanning for miles around him, the village and the great monument far off in the distance, should have been a very frightening experience. It would have been too, were it not for the man standing in front of him, as if nothing was out of the ordinary and standing on thin air was normal for him. The man was nearly transparent however, and Naruto thought back to the old stories of vengeful spirits eating the souls of the young children who ventured into the forest, and did the first thing that came to mind.

"Gack! D-don't eat me! It wasn't me! I didn't touch the sword, and the old man was passed out when I got there, p-please just don't eat me!"

… This is of course Naruto, and in true prankster spirit denied to the very ground he wished he standing on that he did anything wrong.

The man, however, just stood there, staring at young Naruto as if he were insane. Suddenly, and much to Naruto's chagrin, the specter started moving towards him. As the man stood no more than two feet away, he spoke in a voice that demanded nothing but respect.

"So... you are the Next? For ages I have waited for one to answer my call, to take up the mantle of the red diamond and pledge themselves to the Eight and One. Yet I expected not one as young as you. Can a mere child handle the responsibility that comes with the relics?" he said as he began circling the boy, "What made the gods choose you I wonder? You hold a fire burning in your eyes, a little scrawny but room to grow, and a pure soul to boot! Yes, I can see great things in your future child... great things indeed."

Now at this point Naruto was getting frustrated with this being in front of him. It was talking about him like it knew him, calling him child, he had a name! He was Naruto Uzumaki dammit! Of course he had to let this guy know that so he could get the respect he deserved.

"Shut up! Don't talk about me as if you know me! My name it Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha! I have no idea what you are talking about but I bet I can do anything you throw at me, so bring it on!"

The man stopped moving at this and turned to Naruto, who suddenly realized that this thing still hadn't said it wouldn't eat him yet, grew very frightened by the mans expression. Then the last thing Naruto expected happened.

"Bwahahah! Such spirit! I can see now why they chose you. Tell me young Naruto, would you be willing to accept a quest issued by the very Gods themselves? A journey across the land to recover the armor and weapons of the Divine Crusader, a task that has not been accomplished since the death of the Last? Are you willing to rebuild the illustrious order of knights and fight against evil in it's sickest form, see things no mere mortal has the will to see? Are you willing to toss all that you know away and embrace the life of a servitude to the Nine? Will you become my heir, and take the name of Pelinal Whitestrake?" 

This caused Naruto to pause. If what this man was saying is true, he would have to give up on his dream of becoming Hokage and being the greatest ninja that ever lived. The feelings he had when this man spoke, however, seemed right to him, like this was what he was born for. So with the conviction brought about by the thoughts of what he could be he looked to the man and spoke in a voice so sincere it surprised even him.

"I will, I promise to take whatever this quest or whatever your talking about and finish it! I will become the best of the best and beat the crap out of evil because I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I never go back on my word!"

As he said this, the world started distorting and he felt himself falling. A voice struck out, calling to him as he began to lose conciousness.

"Then as I was asked so long ago I have but one final question. Naruto Uzumaki, are you a worthy knight?"

Sorry about the wait here, I tend to procrastinate to much for even my liking. A short one to last you until my next update, whenever that is.

-Star Shatterer


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I, Star Shatterer, own nothing of the "Naruto" or "Elder Scrolls" universes as they belong to Kishimoto and Bethesda respectively.

-Priory of the Nine-

It felt like he had been standing in the same spot for hours, his body rigid, his grip on the handle of the blade turning his knuckles white. When Naruto finally came to, he fell flat on his ass and scurried away from the now fallen blade as quickly as he could.

"H-h-holy crap, that blade was cursed! I knew this was a bad idea... I need to get back, find Mizuki and tell him..." as he trailed off on his tangent, he noticed the figure standing in the corner of his eye.

"Child, that blade, as you put it, is most definitely the farthest from a cursed item you will find in your life. I am sure you have questions, and I do have answers. But not here, for I realize you DO have somewhere you need to be." said the specter. "Now pick up the blade, and focus your magicks on it. The blade is still in it's dormant state." At that Naruto was confused, magicks? Did he mean chakra?

"What do you mean by magicks? Like pulling a rabbit from a hat?"

And this, it seemed, was most definitely not the correct thing to say, if the killing intent the ghost was pushing onto young Naruto was any indication. "Pull a rabbit out of a hat!? What are they teaching children in this gods forsaken era! No, young Naruto, your inner powers, Magicka!" "Magicka? I don't even know what that is! We ninja use chakra you old goat!" Naruto shot back, conveniently forgetting the part of him not graduating. "If you want me to push it into the stupid sword you should have just said so..." He said as he started picking up the blade, completely missing the intense glare the spirit was giving him. "Now how do I do this again? Shouldn't have fallen asleep during this lesson I guess... focus my will to bring up the chakra, and push it to... push it into the weapon?"

As he was mumbling to himself the spirit was observing Naruto, watching as an aura of a light blue pushed itself from the boy and began to envelope the blade. _"Though this child may be an idiot, it seems the gods were not mistaken in choosing him as their champion. This power he possesses is incredible, and it seems that he doesn't even realize it himself." _thought Pelinal. A light began pulsing from the sword, and before long the blade itself began changing. The blade itself grew wider, the tip more pronounced. The pommel stone became more rounded, and changed from a ruby red to a sapphire blue. The hilt grew into a hand guard, covering half of the grip with a protruding bar. If one were to stare into the gem on the pommel, you could almost make out an image of a whirlpool, drawing in the gazes of those who dare look deep enough.

"It... changed? Was that supposed to happen? I didn't break it did I?" Naruto fearfully asked. "No, you merely unlocked it. The blade, and all of the divine artifacts change by the very nature of the wielder. They adapt to suite how you fight. It seems that the lighter style of combat the Last excelled at is not for you... no, that blade is not meant to bypass an opponents defence, but to crush it entirely."

At this point, Naruto noticed something odd about how the spirit kept referencing to someone. While not 'smart' by a longshot compared to others, Naruto was able to pick up on the actions of others rather well, as living on your own means you do not want people to cheat you. "You keep referencing to this 'Last', who is that?" "Just as you are the 'Next', there have been those who I reference to as the 'Last'. They are those who have held the relics, have been chosen by the divines, just as you are. The Last are no singular person, there have been three of us. I, myself, am an amalgation, a combination if you will, of the experiences and knowledge of the First Pelinal Whitestrake, then the hero of the third era, and the last chosen, during the beginning of the end of the fourth era. It has always begun, however, with this building. The Divines guide the Next to this priory, and it is here that I judge whether they are worthy. By picking up the blade, you have started a new destiny, and by it you must swear to banish the evil from these lands."

"Why me though?" Naruto asked, "Surely there is someone better than me? I'm nobody, I don't have a family, and it seems that everyone hates me for something I don't even know I did! Why am I considered worthy?" At this Pelinal stared hard at Naruto, "It is because you have these doubts, that you are to be considered worthy of the God's favor. It is more than being humble, it is knowing that deep down, you know you can strive to be better. By your own power, not at the expense of others. It matters not if there is someone better, because the Divines in their infinite wisdom chose you, and if nothing else, that should prove your worth."

"I believe in you, young Naruto, and should you need me for anything I am shall remain here. You will know how to return. Now I believe you did have something you were doing before this." At that the spirit pointed to the scroll laying by the doorway, unrolled to a specific jutsu.

As Pelinal faded away, all Naruto could do was stare at the scroll, finally realizing just how screwed he truly was at becoming a genin. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)**? Of course it had to be a damn clone jutsu..." And with that he sat down and got to practicing, all the while cradling his newest burden, the gem shining in the glow of the torches.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I, Star Chatterer, own nothing of the "Naruto" or "Elder Scrolls" universes as they belong to Kishimoto and Bethesda respectively.

-Konoha Forest-

Shinichiro Mizuki was a patient man. Dealing with those brats in the academy almost demanded such a trait. However, when dealing with one specific brat it seems he forgot one key fact.

"God damn BRAT! It has been HOURS since I told him to meet up with me here. I know he took the scroll, that stubborn old goat of a Hokage already issued an order to apprehend the little bastard... where the hell is he!" Mizuki seethed. It seems that he did not take into account, at least by the academies standards, that Naruto was not exactly the best at tracking/scouting. Even with all that though, Mizuki felt he should have at least found the kid by now, seeing as he had been patrolling the general area of where the meeting should have been taking place. "That little demon is going to cost me my chance at getting out of this stupid village." Though he managed to keep his volume down during his rant, he had attracted the attention of another patrolling shinobi, one Umino Iruka.

"So that's your game, Mizuki." he said, catching the other's attention. "Using Naruto to do your dirty work? Have you no shame?"

As Mizuki turned to Iruka, he grabbed for the giant shuriken on his back, "Defending that demon, eh Iruka? I would have thought you would be among the first to petition for his death if we had the chance. It doesn't matter anyway... seeing as I need to kill you for hearing that... my old friend."

"Old friend huh? that's if thats the case can I have that Mizuki back? The one who was above these kinds of dishonorable acts? If Tsubaki was here I swe-!" Iruka was forced to stop mid-sentence to dodge the thrown weapon. "Don't you dare patronize me Iruka! I need an out from this village, and that demon is going to provide me the perfect scapegoat! Hell, if I can kill him... I might even be promoted to Hokage! Imagine that huh?" Mizuki angrily shouted, preparing another shuriken for an attack. "Once Naruto gets here, I will take that damn scroll and have an in with... anyone! The price people will pay for it would be immeasurable! Kumo, Kiri, Suna! Any village with a gripe would find such an item priceless, and it would see to the downfall of this pathetic village."

This gave Iruka pause. Not in consideration of the money it would bring, definitely not. The fact that Mizuki, a once proud shinobi of the Hidden Leaf would be able to fall so low... "So this is it then? Everything you strove for, everyone you call comrade, your friends? All of them are open to the highest bidder? Because if anyone gets that scroll, Konoha, your people, all of us are screwed!"

"NONE OF IT MATTERS IRUKA! All of these comrades? My ambitions? I don't care for any of that! If I can live the life of luxury because I killed a demon and took the scroll, then I will do it! Once I kill you, I will find him, and then I will be a new man... No more words Iruka... the only thing I want from you is your death!" With that he attacked.

0000-0000

-Konoha Forest, outside of the Priory of the Nine-

Naruto... was lost. After finally getting that thrice-damned **Kage Bunshin **down, he decided to try and find his way home. After wandering around for a while, he realized he had absolutely no clue how he had even gotten to the priory, let alone how to get back. After panicking a bit, he decided the best course was to creat a ton of clones and have them stand on the others shoulders until they could see which direction the Hokage Monument was in... not necessarily the smartest move, but Naruto is of course rather impulsive. An interesting thing he found about the clones was that creating them was almost too easy. While the warnings against massive chakra drain were the biggest causes for concern, he barely felt a thing. He did find that while the clones had all of his gear, tools, and weapons, the one thing they never had was his new sword, neatly strapped over his back.

One by one his clones climbed on top of the other, and soon enough there was a large, swaying, swearing column of Narutos. "Boss! I see the monument over that whoaaaayyyy!" one of his clones cried as a strong gust of wind knocked the entire pillar down, the clones erupting in a cloud of thick smoke.

"*Cough* Well that wasn't *cough* such a good idea after all..." Naruto choked out, trying to fight his way free from the smoke. Still, the message had been received and the blonde made his way through the forest towards his home.


End file.
